Attention: a similar workshop was held in Munich, 2001. This workshop is intended for people who couldn't participate there. This year’s workshop will also include a demonstration of a new genetics program from the IML.

Technical knowledge is only one ingredient that makes a doctor — just as important are clinical skills and the "right" attitude. That technical knowledge can be transferred from one man to the other is obvious — this can happen without direct contact — by the use of a medium (most often a book) for example. But does it makes sense for a medical doctor to learn mere technical knowledge? Howard S. Barrows was convinced that knowledge has to be applicable in order to be at hand when it is needed. As a result he introduced the "Problem Based Learning" method. In 1984 he adopted, together with Feltovich, the "script" concept for medical education. These "Illness-scripts", which are mainly generated through reflection on patient encounters, are supposed to be the underlying structure of the clinical reasoning processes.

In the first part of the workshop we will have a look at the concept of "Illness-scripts". These scripts are supposed to be the underlying structure of the clinical reasoning processes — and it seems that they are mainly generated through reflection on patient encounters. We will have a look at some computer-aided learning-programs that take advantage of this concept.

In the second part, We’ll make the point that clinical medicine is not only about clinical reasoning — often more important and harder to do is to give the information to the patients — in particular when this is bad news. Patient compliance differs in many ways and is greatly dependent by the way how they are informed. We will also look at some computer-aided learning-programs which consider this to be an important issue.

The following programs will be used to demonstrate these ideas and to generate discussion:

• "Primary Care of the HIV / AIDS Patient" from the IML Dartmouth —
• "Genetics Virtual Practicum" also from the IML —
• "Neurology Interactive" from the AUM Bern —
• "Headache Interactive" from the AUM Bern —
• other programs for demonstration/discussion available upon request (bring your own as well)

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION: The participants in the workshop will discuss how the computer could assist the learner in developing these qualities. To do so, we will study some examples (as mentioned above in the abstract) and investigate how this can be done. The benefit to the participants will be that they will be better able to design learning (enabling) programs for clinical medical education.

Christof J Daetwyler
Interactive Media Laboratory
Colburn Hill, One Medical Center Drive
USA - Lebanon, NH 03756
Phone: (603) 653 1508
Fax: (603) 653 1515
Email: daetwyler@dartmouth.edu
Website: http://www.iml.dartmouth.edu/cda/